The installation of a light well and the use of sliding doors can make a tiny space seem larger, writes Eoin Lyons
A couple who had just bought an apartment on Pembroke Road decided to contact Maria MacVeigh after reading an article in these pages about the interior architect's own home. They liked her pared-back style and as their own apartment was tiny (a mere 36sq m, less than 400sq ft) they needed advice to make it more liveable. It was bought as a pied-à-terre, not a full-time residence. Even so, they wanted it to be a pleasant space in which to spend a couple of days each week.
"The apartment was very gloomy," says MacVeigh. "There was a living room with an alcove kitchen and a tiny bedroom and bathroom. The place had only two small windows." But because the apartment is on the top floor, it had an attic space, reached by a hatch in the bathroom. When opened up, it revealed a skylight.
MacVeigh took this feature as her starting point and decided to create a well that allows light to shine into the apartment, rather than just the attic. The position of the skylight created a natural "line" on the layout. Behind this imaginary line she positioned a kitchen, shower room and entrance lobby. "The layout was redesigned with all the services pushed back in line with the skylight, making the living room larger and brighter."
The width of the new section across the back of the apartment was also determined by the width of the shower tray that would sit in the bathroom, and by the dimensions of the washer and dryer in the kitchen. "The area is differentiated by a change in floor material: these areas are floored in granite, the rest of the apartment has ash wood floors." The light well has steel steps set into the wall for access to the attic.
Sliding or pivoting ash doors play a big part in the transformation of the space. The bedroom, for example, has two sets. One slides open from the entrance lobby; the other opens on the wall that divides the room from the living area. "The door between bedroom and living room when open allows both windows in the apartment to be seen from each room, so the daylight is doubled." It's a simple but ingenious idea that makes the whole apartment seem bigger. Even from the kitchen, there's now a view of the two windows. Another ash door, this time pivoting, separates the entrance hall from the living room. "That means the living room can be enclosed and be used as a bedroom, but there's access to the bathroom from both sleeping spaces."
A sliding door separates the kitchen from the living area. "It has two purposes - defining the dining area and hiding away the kitchen if need be." There's still a sense of what lies behind this door as it closes only as far as the counter that runs continuously through the kitchen and living space. A timber shelf sits above this and the wall between is tiled. "The granite counter where the sink sits is narrower than standard, so it looks more like a sideboard than a countertop. It means the line between where the kitchen ends and the living room begins is defined only by the different flooring."
There are other visual tricks at play. The fireplace surround was repositioned so it sits more to the living room side of the room. "It makes the chimney look further into the room than it actually is and brings the focus to that side."
Storage is always difficult to organise in a small apartment, but because of the attic space and the fact that the apartment would not be used for full-time living, not a lot was needed. The wardrobe is located in the entrance hall, next to the bedroom, rather than in the room itself. It fits perfectly within the line that MacVeigh drew to house the utilities, kitchen and shower room.
In the shower room, a granite washbasin was specially made to fit the space and to create a seamless look, with tiles in the same material. A chrome towel-rail was mounted onto the mirror above the sink to save space.
A limited palette works for a small space as it means less confusion for the eye. "There's one main colour - bone - and three textures of this shade: the wall colour, the spray paint finish of the furniture, and the 15x15 wall tiles are all different textures."
Perhaps the greatest success of this apartment is its adaptability. "It works when all the doors are open and when everything is closed away. If the owners want to define the dining area more, they just pull the door towards the kitchen. Or to make the living area cosier, close the door to the bedroom."
• Maria MacVeigh can be contacted at mariamacveigh@ireland.com